Paris-Roubaix, the race which is also called the Hell of the north (for the north of France) or also la Dure des dures, has taken place today under a lightly clouded sky (with sometimes even some sun) and thus without the rain which had been announced before the start of the race. The 28 cobbled road zones with a total length of 52,8 kilometers of the total 259,5 kilometers did however have the same effect as usual with some falls, flat tyres and sometimes even some dust clouds.

Tom Boonen passed the finish line on Roubaix' vélodrome first and thereby won this difficult classic cycling race.

After a few escapes without many success three riders finally took a lead when they jumped away at 10 kilometers from the first cobbled stone zone: the Dutch Matthé Pronk (Cycle Collstrop), the Belgian Jan Kuycks (Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner) and the Russian Alexander Serov (Tinkoff Credit Systems).

One of the favourites for the race victory, Thor Hushovd, abandonned in the first provision zone.

Just before the Trouée d'Arenberg Arnaud Coyot (Caisse d'Epargne) caused a big fall in which one of the favourites - Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) - also sat on the ground while Juan Antonio Flecha had a flat tyre at the same time: one of his team mates gave his wheel and Flecha could catch up with the pack at the start of the Trouée d'Arenberg. On the Trouée d'Arenberg there have of course been some falls and flat tyres.

Serov wasn't able to stay in the group on the Trouée d'Arenberg but Pronk and Kuycks waited for him. However, on the next cobbled stone zone the Dutch and Belgian rider again left him behind and he was taken back by a group of 32 riders at 79 kilometers from the finish. A few minutes later Jan Kuycks was also taken by this group while he was standing on the side of the road with a flat tyre.
At the same time Filippo Pozzato changed his bike for a new one, probably because after the fall with Arnaud Coyot a mechanical problem on his bike made it impossible to switch to change to another gear.

Finally the Dutch rider Matthé Pronk was also taken back by the group with Tom Boonen at 74 kilometers from the finish.

After an accelleration of the Belgian rider Johan van Summeren (Silence Lotto), seven other riders joined him to form a group of eight riders: Leif Hoste, Stijn Devolder, Fabian Cancellara, Stuart O'Grady, Tom Boonen, Alessandro Ballan, Martijn Maaskant and Johan van Summeren. From this group the Belgian champion Stijn Devolder - who won the Tour of Flanders last week - accellerated on the cobbled stone zone of Mons-en-Pévèle. Stuart O'Grady - last year's winner - decided to accellerate as well and join Devolder. The two riders were taken back by the 5 others (Van Summeren couldn't take up with the others).
Once the two riders were back in the group Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen and Alessandro Ballan accellerated and formed a trio leading the race.

The three specialists for these kind of cycling races have looked each other for a long time, have sometimes tried to attack but finally stayed together until the Vélodrome in Roubaix. Especially Tom Boonen never stopped watching the two others to make sure they would arrive together on the Vélodrome.

When they arrived together in Roubaix, Tom Boonen finally wins the Hell of the North in a nice sprint which started very early! Tom Boonen really showed he was stronger than the two others.

The final result

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